Taylor Lorenz reveals next step as she quits WaPo after investigation into controversial meme about Biden

WASHINGTON, DC: Taylor Lorenz has resigned from The Washington Post weeks after the paper launched an internal investigation into a controversial meme she posted on Instagram.

Lorenz shared her plans to launch an independent newsletter, User Mag, on the Substack platform after she revealed her departure in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Taylor Lorenz's decision to leave WaPo

Taylor Lorenz has been with The Washington Post since 2022 and her last article for the paper was published on August 7, 2024.

The tech columnist's decision to leave comes amid scrutiny following a meme she shared on her 'close friends' Instagram story, which included a photo of President Joe Biden captioned “war criminal” alongside a frowny face.

Meme controversy and investigation against Taylor Lorenz

After Taylor Lorenz posted the controversial meme on her Instagram Story, The Washington Post launched a formal investigation.

The image was reportedly intended as a humorous reference to a well-known meme, according to sources close to the reporter.

However, the meme labeling Biden a "war criminal" was interpreted by some as an inflammatory political statement.

“It was 100 percent taken out of context,” said a friend of Lorenz, explaining that the post had no relation to serious geopolitical events such as the Israel-Hamas war and was instead referencing internet culture, as per Mediaite.

However, an internal investigation was launched to review the situation.

In a statement to Mediaite, a spokesperson for The Washington Post appreciated Lorenz's contributions, saying, “We are grateful for the work Taylor has produced at The Washington Post.

"She has resigned to pursue a career in independent journalism, and we wish her the best,” the spokesperson added.

Taylor Lorenz's new venture on Substack

Following her resignation, Taylor Lorenz announced her new venture as an independent newsletter on Substack called User Mag.

After she revealed her plans during her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the journalist later promoted the new venture on X, asking followers to support her by purchasing yearly subscriptions.

In the interview, she explained her reasons for leaving traditional media.

Citing a desire for more creative freedom and a closer relationship with her audience, Lorenz said, “I just wanted to get out of legacy media.

"It’s really difficult to do the kind of reporting I want to do on the internet within these older institutions. I like to be very vocal online, and I just think all of that is really hard to do in the roles that are available at these legacy institutions," she added.